Industrial accidents continue to occur, prompting Lee's demand for severe punitive measures
The South Korean government, under the leadership of President Lee Jae Myung, is implementing a series of stringent measures to prevent industrial accidents and hold main contractors accountable for safety violations. These measures aim to fundamentally reduce industrial accidents in the country and bring South Korea’s industrial fatality rate down from the current OECD-leading 0.39 deaths per 10,000 workers to the OECD average of 0.29 within five years.
One of the key initiatives is the establishment of a special committee to monitor industrial accidents and develop safety improvement measures. This committee, under government oversight, is expected to play a significant role in addressing industrial accidents in South Korea. Its creation underscores President Lee's personal connection to labor issues and industrial safety, as he has reiterated the need for strong measures to prevent industrial accidents.
President Lee has also directed the government to implement tough penalties on workplaces with repeated fatalities. Offending companies may face permanent revocation of bidding qualifications and heavy fines. To further enforce labor safety, the government is bolstering the expansion of workers' compensation coverage and enforcement of labor protections, especially in small workplaces.
In addition, President Lee has urged measures to hold main contractors accountable for serious industrial accidents, especially targeting large construction companies that outsource dangerous tasks to subcontractors to cut costs. Taking someone's life to save costs, according to President Lee, is a form of murder by willful negligence or social killing.
To increase transparency and prevent accidents, the government is introducing a workplace safety and health disclosure system. Companies will be required to publish annual data on fatal industrial accidents, safety investments, and preventive measures, increasing transparency and accountability. The government is also implementing a faster reporting mechanism for industrial deaths directly to President Lee to ensure immediate attention and swift government response.
President Lee's proposals also focus on expanding workers’ right to stop work when there is not only imminent danger but also a risk of imminent danger, broadening workers' authority to prevent accidents. He has also suggested offering exceptional rewards for reporting workplaces with inadequate safety management.
President Lee's focus on labor issues appears to be shaped by his personal experience as a young factory worker. At age 13, he suffered an industrial accident in which his fingers were caught in a power belt, resulting in a permanent arm injury. This experience has underscored his administration’s strong commitment to reducing workplace fatalities and enforcing labor safety.
In summary, the Lee Jae Myung government is combining strong punitive sanctions, expanded worker rights, increased transparency, direct executive oversight, and systematic monitoring to sharply reduce industrial deaths and ensure main contractors are held responsible for their safety obligations. The special committee, along with other initiatives, is intended to address and prevent industrial accidents in South Korea, ultimately improving the safety and wellbeing of workers across the country.
- The South Korean government, under President Lee Jae Myung, is not only implementing stringent measures to hold main contractors accountable for safety violations, but also emphasizing workplace-wellness through the establishment of a special committee focused on science-oriented safety improvements.
- To further promote health-and-wellness in South Korea's workplaces, President Lee has directed that workers be provided the right to stop work in the presence of both imminent and potential risks, and has suggested exceptional rewards for reporting workplaces with inadequate safety management, drawing upon his personal experience as a young factory worker.
